ELITE founder Carl Cannon says he's not ready to expand his behavioral management program to a second District 150 school this year.

So when School Board members raised questions about the issue during Monday night's board meeting, it caught him by surprise.

"I didn't see that coming," said Cannon on Wednesday. "Everything that was before them Monday night was before them a year ago."

Board members originally approved an $80,000 licensing agreement with Cannon, along with an intergovernmental agreement with the Peoria Park District, Cannon's employer, when ELITE started last year at Trewyn Middle School.

But Monday, the board tabled a vote to renew the one-year licensing agreement with Cannon for use of intellectual property rights for ELITE at Trewyn until the Aug. 13 board meeting. Delaying the vote gives them a chance to settle questions about who can make decisions to carry the program to other schools - Cannon or the park district.

District 150 Superintendent Grenita Lathan announced plans to start the program at a second school during her State of the Schools address in May. She eventually decided to expand the program to Harrison. Neither Cannon nor the park district has made public pronouncements about expanding the program this year.

"I'm for expansion, but it has to be done right," Cannon said. "Expansion takes time, you've got to lay the groundwork. It's a little late to look at it with school starting in less than a month."

Peoria Park District Director Bonnie Noble has also said she didn't want to expand the program too quickly, particularly without data examining ELITE's results at Trewyn.

However, several District 150 board members are concerned about overall costs for a program only used at one school. And Lathan has suggested renegotiating the fees if expansion requires park district permission.

According to the intergovernmental agreement, District 150 pays the park district about $200,000 for each year of the three-year agreement. The agreement also stipulates terms for terminating the contract. District 150 would have to notify the park district at least 60 days before June 30 of each year of the contract. Otherwise, it renews automatically.

The park district pays Cannon's salary. The contract with District 150 pays salary and benefits for two full-time ELITE employees and several part-time employees. District 150 also pays for three full-time employees for the program at Trewyn.

District 150 board president Chris Crawford said he did not think the program was in jeopardy.

"I just think people have questions," he said. "I think board members need more information about what is prohibiting expansion and what needs to be done to pave the way for expansion."

Pam Adams can be reached at 686-3245 or padams@pjstar.com. Follow her on Twitter @padamspam.

Page 2 of 2 - This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: Peoria School District 150 board members will consider voting on the licensing agreement for the ELITE program at the Aug. 13 board meeting. The date was incorrect in a story in Thursday’s paper.